Mailing lists have traditionally been used by information providers to disseminate information to groups of people. An information provider is anyone with a message, including individuals, companies, and organizations, and a mailing list comprises contact information, e.g., postal addresses and telephone numbers, of the people whom the information provider wishes to reach with its message, e.g., advertisement, sales brochure, stock tip, newsletter, or holiday greeting.
With the advent of the Internet and email (also “e-mail” or “electronic mail”), a specialized form of mailing list has emerged, called an email list or emailing list, which includes a list of email addresses. Rather than sending a printed letter or brochure via postal mail, the information provider simply sends an email message to subscribers of the email list.
There are obstacles to successful delivery of list messages arising from competing interests between the parties involved, including list owners, list subscribers, and intermediate recipients. In the case of email lists, an intermediate recipient is typically an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Consequently, a need exists for a system and method for mediation between these parties.